Soweto Uprising

The Soweto Uprising was a series of protests in South Africa's Soweto township that occurred on 16 June 1976 when Bantu students protested against Afrikaans becoming the medium of instruction in local schools. 20,000 Bantu students, whether they were Zulus or Xhosa, rose up against the discriminatory new law and demanded that they be instructed in English or in their native languages. The protests were met with fierce police brutality, with police and soldiers firing live bullets into the crowds of protesting students and killing 176. Students pillaged their own schools in protest, and the uprising met its bloody end; some rumors said that up to 700 students were killed. 16 June has been remembered as "Youth Day" by post-apartheid South Africa, as many brave youths stood up and fought against racism, with many paying the ultimate price.